The invention concerns a process for preparing 19-hydroxy-steroids of the androstane and pregnane series.
19-Hydroxy steroids are, as is known, important intermediates for the partial synthesis of pharmacologically active 19-nor steroids. The chemical synthesis of these compounds from the corresponding 10-methyl steroids comprises many stages and is very expensive (J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 84:3204 et seq. [1962] and J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 83:4076 et seq. [1961]). Investigations have also been conducted to hydroxylate 10-methyl steroids in the 19-position by means of microorganism cultures (Bull. Agr. Chem. Japan 22:212 [1958]). However, the previously known methods yield only such low quantities of 19-hydroxy steroids that they are useless from a technical viewpoint.